Backgrounders
Backgrounders are brief introductions to important and technical topics and Answers to frequently asked questions share key information on a topic.
Use this information to plan an episode or series of episodes on the topic, to prepare for an interview, or to answer questions from callers.
- All
- Agriculture
- Aquaculture
- Children and youth
- Climate change
- Community development
- Crop production
- Energy
- Environment and climate change
- Gender equality
- Health
- Hygiene and sanitation
- Land issues
- Livestock and beekeeping
- Marketing and market information
- Nature-based Solutions
- Nutrition
- Post-harvest activities
- Social issues
- Soil health
- Trees and agroforestry
- Water management
Why and how youth should get involved in agriculture
Introduction Why is this subject important to listeners? Because potential youth farmers should know: The opportunities that exist across the full agricultural value chain. How to market their farm produce and popularize their agricultural innovations. How to use the media to promote their agricultural activities. How to process raw agricultural produce in line with safety…
Pest management in market gardening
Introduction The Kolda region presents many opportunities in market gardening. Crops vary according to the season, with the most prominent European vegetables including lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, carrot, turnip, gourd, parsley, and several varieties of chili peppers. These are cultivated during the cold season and are better adapted to the agroecological environment with less risk…
Organic fertilizers
This backgrounder discusses the nature and benefits of organic fertilizers and lists a variety of organic fertilizers that farmers may choose to use. What is soil? Soil fertility is strongly related to the organic matter content of the soil. The higher the organic matter content of a soil, the more potentially fertile it is. It…
Rights of rural women in Senegal
Save and edit this resource as a Word document 1. Introduction In Senegal, rural women account for more than 60% of the agricultural production force and produce 80% of food. But their prominent place in the production chain does not reflect the realities they face. Indeed, the weight of tradition and custom relegates women to…
COVID-19 and farmers: Responding to a pandemic in rural Rwanda
Introduction Rwanda is one of the smallest countries in Africa at just over 26,000 square kilometres. In contrast, its neighbour, Tanzania, is 35 times as large. Rwanda borders Uganda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Tanzania. The country is hilly with highly fertile soils, and its economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture.…
Good agricultural practices for vegetable production in Ghana
Introduction Why is this subject important to listeners? Because farmers involved in vegetable production should know: The land preparation required to grow vegetables. The types of vegetables to grow in their region. How to manage growing vegetables on their farm. How to control pests in growing vegetables. The right time to harvest mature vegetables. Diseases…
Glossary of key terms associated with COVID-19
Since early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has spread across the world, including sub-Saharan Africa. As with other health issues, when referring to COVID-19, specific terms are required. These terms have specific definitions. Rural broadcasters and their audiences need a common understanding of these words so that everyone can fully grasp how the virus works and…
Fires deliberately set for agriculture, their impacts and alternatives
Introduction Today, soil degradation is occurring in most parts of Africa. This manifests in the impoverishment of agricultural land, the destruction of forests, soil erosion, and other impacts. Human activities have played a part in this. For example, certain agricultural practices such as deliberately-set fires have a negative impact on soils and the general…
The state of adolescent reproductive and sexual health and health care in Burkina Faso
Why is it important to talk about it? Adolescence is a period of opportunities but also of risks. Behaviors during adolescence have repercussions for adult life. Talking about adolescent reproductive and sexual health helps to extend sexual education programs to adolescents and youth out of school, who make up the majority of this age group.…
How to keep food fresh for longer
Introduction: With restricted movement in most sub-Saharan countries because of COVID-19, many markets for fresh food are closed or restricted. This impacts vendors, traders, and consumers. While, so far, value chains for grains and legumes are not as strongly affected, consumers are much less able to find fresh foods for their family, especially fruit and…